Course overview

Deakin’s innovative Bachelor of Teaching (Science)/Bachelor of Science degree provides graduates with a full science degree and a complete secondary teaching qualification.

It will prepare you for a career in science education, but also provide career flexibility through the widening field of science communication, and science-related industries.

The flexible course structure gives you the opportunity to pursue two major study areas. Discipline and elective units in a variety of contemporary teaching fields – such as animal biology, cell biology, human biology, chemistry, mathematical modelling, natural history, and environmental science – will help you to build a breadth of knowledge in areas of interest. In addition to specialising in two major study areas the Bachelor of Science degree component of the course requires you to complete at least one unit in each of the areas of biology, chemistry, physics, environmental studies mathematics and a unit on the history and philosophy of science. This will give you a broad knowledge base in science which represents a key skill in most science careers and particularly in the career field of science teaching.

The course places great emphasis on industry experience and innovative teaching practices, and has a strong focus on integrating the traditional disciplines with vocational education and training.

The course includes 80 days of supervised school experience. Some of this experience may take place in non-school settings, consistent with current directions advocated by the Victorian Institute of Teaching.

Units in the course may include assessment hurdle requirements.

Professional recognition

This initial teacher program has been approved by the Victorian Institute of Teaching for the purposes of teacher registration in Victoria. Graduate intending to apply for registration in Victoria should carefully check all requirements relating to this process specifiedhere

Fees and charges

Equivalent Full Time Student Load (EFTSL)EFTSL is the standard annual full time load. Eight credit points is the standard full time load for one year of study.

Commonwealth supported place (CSP)
A Commonwealth supported place is one for which the university receives some government funding. As such, students enrolled in these places are required to contribute only part of the cost of their course. To be eligible for a Commonwealth supported place you must be an Australian citizen, or a New Zealand citizen or holder of a permanent visa who will be residing in Australia for the duration of your unit/s of study.

* The "indicative annual course fee" cited has been provided as a guide only. It has been calculated on the basis of a typical enrolment of a student undertaking the course in 2015, and reflects the cost involved in undertaking a full-time quota of units within the specified discipline.
The actual fees charged by Deakin University will depend upon the discipline from which each individual unit is chosen, and may vary from the indicative course fee cited, particularly if units are chosen from a number of disciplines. The cost of each unit offered in 2015 can be viewed from the Unit Search.
Please note that the fees per unit/credit point may increase annually due to rises in the cost of course delivery and service.
Deakin assumes no responsibility for persons relying on "indicative course fees" to calculate the total future cost of their course.

Career opportunities

As a graduate of this course you will be eligible to gain employment as a secondary teacher in all states and territories in Australia. You may also find employment in Australia and overseas in management, a range of science-related industries, government departments, university research, TAFE and adult community educational institutions, health and welfare organisations, private academies and agencies, in public sector positions such as conservation groups and other research positions in a variety of organisations.

Course rules

The Bachelor of Teaching (Science) is offered as a combined course of 32 credit points (four years of full time study or part-time equivalent) with the revised Bachelor of Science to prepare secondary teachers in the disciplines of science and mathematics. Each Faculty teaches 16 credit points.

To satisfy the Bachelor of Science requirements students must complete 16 credit points in the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment, including at least one 6-credit-point major sequence in a specific science discipline and a 4 credit point (minimum) science sub-major sequence consisting of 2 credit points at each of levels 1 and 2.

Students electing to complete one of the Biological Science related disciplines as a major OR a minor must choose the other major or minor from one of the following - Chemistry and Material Science, Mathematical modelling or Environmental Science. Students are not permitted to undertake both their major and minor from the Biological Science related disciplines.

*Students electing to complete one of the Biological Science related disciplines as a major OR a minor must choose the other major or minor from one of the following - Chemistry and Material Science, Mathematical modelling or Environmental Science. Students are not permitted to undertake both their major and minor from the Biological Science related disciplines.

# SLE133, SLE155 - Students who have not completed Year 12 Chemistry or equivalent should choose to do SLE133 in trimester 1. Students who have completed Year 12 Chemistry or equivalent should choose to do SLE155 in trimester 2.

# SLE133, SLE155 - Students who have not completed Year 12 Chemistry or equivalent should choose to do SLE133 in trimester 1. Students who have completed Year 12 Chemistry or equivalent should choose to do SLE155 in trimester 2.

## SLE251, SLE103 - Sequence of units may vary depending on the major sequence that students select. Please contact Student Services office for unit advice.

Entry requirements - general

Deakin University offers admission to undergraduate courses through a number of Admission categories. In all categories of admission, selection is based primarily on academic merit as indicated by an applicant's previous academic record. For more information on the Admission Criteria and Selection Policy visit The Guide.

Entry requirements - specific

Applicants are required to have successfully completed the Victorian Certificate of Education or equivalent. Units 1 and 2: satisfactory completion in two units ( any study combination ) of General Mathematics or Maths:Mathematical Methods or Units 3 and 4: any Mathematics; and a study score of at least 35 in English ( EAL ) or at least 25 inEnglish other than EAL.

Provision is made for an intake of mature-age or special-entry applicants. Refer to the relevant Courses section in the Handbook for Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment for the Bachelor of Science, and the VTAC Guide for special requirements.

Credit for prior learning - general

The University aims to provide students with as much credit as possible for approved prior study or informal learning which exceeds the normal entrance requirements for the course and is within the constraints of the course regulations. Students are required to complete a minimum of one-third of the course at Deakin University, or four credit points, whichever is the greater. In the case of certificates, including graduate certificates, a minimum of two credit points within the course must be completed at Deakin.

How to apply

Applications for campus based study for Trimester 1 must be made through the Victorian Tertiary Admission Centre (VTAC). For more information refer to VTAC (external site).

Further study

Students who successfully complete the course will be eligible to apply for entry to the Graduate Certificate of Education and Master of Education courses. Also eligible to apply for Bachelor of Science (Honours).

Working with Children Check

The Working with Children Act 2005 (Vic.) requires a person who engages in child-related work, as defined in the Act, to obtain an assessment notice under the Act, known as a Working with Children Check (WWCC). The Act is administered by the Department of Justice: justice.vic.gov.au

Professional experience placements in schools in the course of a university degree are “child-related work”. Under the Working with Children Act 2005 (Vic.), administered by the Department of Justice, a student teacher must obtain a Working with Children Check (WWCC) before commencing school experience placements in a school. The WWCC must remain current throughout the course. It is an offence under the Act to engage in school experience without holding a WWCC.

Students will not be allowed to commence school experience in any school in Victoria until a Working with Children Check is obtained. The Department of Education has requested that on the application form a student nominates the University as the (or one of the) employers. The University will then be sent a copy of the assessment notice. Because the University needs to assure a school that a student placed at the school has a current Working with Children Check, each student must give their authority to provide the assurance - a student will be required to sign an authority for the University to inform a school that a WWCC has or has not been obtained.

While the University will hold on file documentation relating to the WWCCs obtained by students engaged in school experience, it is each student’s responsibility to ensure that he or she can produce the WWCC card to the school upon request and to keep the WWCC current under the Act.

Students are required to apply for a WWCC through a participating Australia Post outlet (which can be found on the Australia Post website or the Department of Justice website) and provide proof to the faculty that the WWCC has been undertaken.

Should a student fail to obtain a WWCC, practical training in a school will not be provided, and as practical training is a requirement for completion of a teaching degree, the student may be unable to complete the degree. Should such a situation arise, the University will provide advice on options for tertiary study.

It is the responsibility of students undertaking placements outside Victoria to enquire about and, where necessary, to meet any similar legislative or other requirements concerning working with children.

Professional experience requirements

Professional experience within the Bachelor of Teaching (Science)/Bachelor of Science will be embedded within the Education Major units(EPP101 [EPP101 is coursework only from 2015], EPP102, EPP207, EPP304, EPP305, EPP406), the first of which will run in the second Trimester of the first year of this course. This enables students to build up skills in teaching in schools setting over the length of the course as well as gaining greater opportunities to connect theory with practice.

Students are required for registration purposes (and for the award of the degree) to have completed over the duration of their course a minimum of 80 days of supervised school experience. Students should ensure they are conversant with the Standards for Graduating Students as required by the Victorian Institute of Teaching. The school experience is organised by the Professional Experience Office and students do not make contact with schools regarding placements under any circumstances.

Students should note that normally any paid or unpaid work undertaken in a school as an unqualified teacher/teacher’s aide will not be recognised for credit credit transfer for supervised school experience for this course. Students may be required to complete the school experience component of the course outside the academic year. A satisfactory level of teaching competence during supervised school experience is required for award of the degree. An “unsatisfactory” result on any school experience placement will be referred to the Faculty Academic Progress and Discipline Committee.

Graduates of an accredited teaching course should note that teacher registration is required in Victoria and is administered by the Victorian Institute of Teaching under the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic.). Prospective students should acquaint themselves with the requirements for registration in Victoria or in any other relevant location. These requirements include the ability to satisfy the Standards for Graduating Students (available at: vit.vic.edu.au)

Professional Experience enrolment

Students must follow Faculty requirements in relation to the number of days of school experience to be completed for each placement as per the Professional Experience Handbook (available from the campus of enrolment) which includes the published school experience timetable. Students should note that a ‘day’ constitutes a whole school day (not part thereof).

Students should obtain a copy of the Professional Experience Handbook each year from the Professional Experience Office (also available at www.deakin.edu.au/arts-ed/education/schoolexp ). Information contained in the Handbook is updated annually and is a summary of Faculty requirements in relation to school experience.

and successfully complete the appropriate professional experience days based in school/s.

The practicum component is assessed primarily by the supervising classroom teacher in consultations with the pre-service teacher. Satisfactory completion of the practicum component within each education studies/professional experience unit is compulsory in order for the student to progress.